brianlaughran Reviews

I'm Not There (2007)

Solid Cast Makes "I'm Not There" Worth Checking Out

[8/10 · 30 October 2009]

A young fraud riding the rails, a political protest singer turned Born Again Christian, an actor with a troubled personal life, a folk singer gone electric Rock N' Roller, a poet in question, and an old gunslinger hiding from his past all provide insight into the life of one of music's most influential and iconic figures, Bob Dylan.

"I'm Not There" is a look into the life of Bob Dylan but in one of the most peculiar and genius ways. The film portrays the musician in an array of six characters each representing an aspect of Dylan's life. The solid cast and genius story telling makes this film worth while.

The movie begins with first incarnation of Dylan is the character Woody (Marcus Carl Franklin), a young African American boy who has run away and is riding the rails. He tells different stories of his origin to different people. He travels around telling his story and plucking a few tunes out on his guitar. The next Dylan-esquire character we meet is Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw). Arthur is a poet being questioned by the law. His answers are used to introduce or provide insight for the other characters and their story lines. The following character to be brought into this story is Jack Rollins (Christian Bale). Rollins is a caricature of Dylan during his protest song era. Jack is followed by his fans to the end of the earth. But, when he is given the Thomas Paine award he goes off into a drunken rage at all the people at the award ceremony. Jack flees afterwords and is reincarnated later in the film as Pastor John, a Born Again Christian minister. Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger) is an actor who is starring in a biography film about Jack Rollins. Robbie's life off screen draws parallels to Dylan's relationship with his wife and children. Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett) is the Bob Dylan of 1965. Jude is the iconic Bob Dylan being harassed by fans and the media for taking his music in another direction. Billy the Kid (Richard Gere) is the famed cowboy who has escaped from the law and has settled into the town of Riddle. This draws on Dylan's obsession with outlaws, especially Billy the Kid.

Generally the cast of "I'm Not There" is pretty good. Cate Blanchett is stunningly great as Jude and her performance gets closer than any's as Bob Dylan. The film is at its best when she is on screen. I did find Arthur's subtle commentary throughout the film to be rather good as well. Bale, Franklin, and Ledger also give solid performances as their Dylans.The weak link of this movie is Richard Gere. I don't blame Gere, though. He tries to make due with what he is given. The character Billy just isn't that interesting.

"I'm Not There" has an original, fresh, and peculiar story and an all star cast that makes it worth seeing. "I'm Not There" gets a B+ in my book.

Heat (1995)

The Best Way to Spend a Lazy Sunday

[7/10 · 21 October 2009]

A film with Academy Award Winners Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Jon Voight and directed by the great Michael Mann it would sound like the ideal movie. However, with "Heat" this is not the case.

"Heat" follows the story of a police officer who is hot on the trail of a bank robber. Al Pacino does a fair job as the police officer and Robert De Niro is OK as the bank robber.

You almost have to wonder where this film went wrong. The answers are obvious. The film is way too long and the story isn't that great. The film dawdles when it spends time on Val Kilmer's character and Robert De Niro's relationship with his girlfriend . Also Al Pacino does his normal shtick, where he delivers all his lines to the far right side of the screen while intensely chewing a piece of gum.

Despite these flaws "Heat" does have some pretty bad-ass moments. Such as the perfectly executed scene with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino talking in a roadside diner (one of the very few times they are on screen together).

All-in-all "Heat" is a movie that has its flaws. But it is a great way to kill off a lazy Sunday afternoon. "Heat" gets a C.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Return Back to the winning Formula

[6/10 · 20 October 2009]

Like George Lucas wasting our time explaining the story of Darth Vader in the three "Star Wars" prequels (Episodes I-III)"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is just another excuse to make money off of a character the public has come to love.

Ever since Bryan Singer abandoned X-Men fans after doing "X-Men" and "X2" no film has done this great comic book franchise justice. Brett Ratner gave us the fair - at - best "X-Men: The Last Stand" and now we have been given "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". I'll admit there are a few good scenes in this movie, but when it was finished all I could think about was how unnecessary this film was. We don't need another movie to explain to us why Wolverine is cool. We know why he's awesome.

Another reason I feel this movie is totally unnecessary is because it tells us who Wolverine was. When the whole purpose of X2 is that Wolverine has come to terms with the fact that he will never know who he is, but that it's OK because he has found his purpose with the X-Men. This film takes away the whole mystique (no pun intended) of the character.

So "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" really isn't worth it if you want to remember X-Men the way I do. Awesome. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" gets a D-.

Mystic River (2003)

The Genius is in the Simplicity

[9/10 · 7 October 2009]

To me "Mystic River" can boast three things. One; A great director (Clint Eastwood). Two; Great actors (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, and Marcia Gay Harden). Three; A masterfully crafted story (Dennis Lehane and Brian Helgeland). Getting these elements together makes for one hell of a movie.

Jimmy (Penn), Sean (Bacon), and Dave (Robbins) were three childhood friends. When they were about ten two men dressed as police officers came and tried to abduct the boys. Jimmy and Sean were able to resist but Dave fell in their trap and was taken. He return to his neighborhood some days later feeling alienated and alone. Twenty-five years later Jimmy's daughter is found dead and Sean is the officer investigating the case. As the evidence begins to mount up Jimmy suspects that their old friend Dave is the killer. Dave's wife Celeste (Harden) also begins to suspect her husband may have something to do with the girl's death when he comes home one night covered in someone else's blood. But all is not as it may seem when the plot begins to unfold...

Both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins received well deserved Oscars (Penn for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Robbis for Best Actor in a Supporting Role)for their parts in this film. The other pieces of the film including the other cast members, director, story, and cinematography all come together to make a wonderful story. "Mystic River" gets an A.

Finding Neverland (2004)

Brilliant storytelling with brilliant acting makes this film worth it

[9/10 · 21 September 2009]

Normally the biopic of an late nineteenth century writer doesn't sound all that entertaining. But "Finding Neverland" does not disappoint. The film is a true monument to how something that could have been absolutely terrible could become a work of art.

Johnny Depp gives a stunning (and Oscar nominated) performance as J.M. Barry, the writer of "Peter Pan". Barry is down and out until he meets a beautiful woman (Kate Winslet) and her young boys. The family inspires Barry to keep playwriting and he uses them as the model for the play "Peter Pan". Dustin Hoffman is also very good in his roll as Barry's producer. "Finding Neverland" gets an A in my book.

The Wicker Man (2006)

A Pathetic Excuse for a Movie

[20 September 2009]

Let me tell you something right now. "The Wicker Man" is by far the worst film I have ever seen. Despite the fact that Nicholas Cage gives a brilliant performance in the lead role the movie is still awful. The movies sets itself up to be a good thriller but falls way too short.

There are several interesting elements to the film that could have turned it into something good but it doesn't. The story doesn't really have any sense of direction. The plot is consistent until the vary end where a twist seems to be pulled out from nowhere. When this twist happens you feel as if though you have been abandoned from all means of good story telling. "The Wicker Man" is a pathetic excuse of a movie and deserves never to be watched again.

Secret Window (2004)

Predictable but Good in its own right.

[8/10 · 5 September 2009]

Based on the short story "Secret Window, Secret Garden" by Stephen King "Secret Window" is the story of mystery writer Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) being confronted by another writer , John Shooter (John Turturo). Shooter is convinced Mort has stolen one of his stories and will stop at nothing until he is convicted.

Honestly, you would have to have been living in a cave for the last few years to not see where this story is going. You would have to be a complete dunce not to see that Shooter and Mort are one in the same. Koepp entertains us for as long as he possibly can but the movie does go a bit limp near the end when the "twist" is revealed. It barely is a twist because you know what's going to happen fifteen minutes before it occurs. "Secret Window" is a good way to kill a Sunday afternoon or to just watch if you're hanging out with your friends and want to watch a movie. But honestly we, as movie-goers, should demand better. "Secret Window" gets a C.

That Thing You Do! (1996)

A very good movie to say the least.

[10/10 · 5 September 2009]

First things first, i have to hand it to Tom Hanks. The man can direct and act. "That Thing You Do" is a movie with no antagonist, no good guys and yet it's a great movie. It follows the story of the Wonders, a band Eerie, Pennsylvania who make it big with their hit single, "That Thing You Do!" They are then picked up by a major record company and are headed off on tour. The rest of the film follows the relationships that blossom and wilt within the band as they climb the ladder of success.

This is a sweet and innocent movie with no other intentions than to tell a story. Which in my opinion is the way a movie should be done. "That Thing You Do" gets an A.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Carpe Diem

[10/10 · 5 September 2009]

This is one of the greatest achievements in all of film. Robin Williams gives a performance that is his most memorable. He plays John Keating, an English teacher who inspires a group of young men in his poetry class to seize the day (carpe diem). He teaches the boys the beauty of poetry and the human soul.

The performances in this film are extraordinary. From Williams to Robert Sean Leonard to Ethan Hawke.This movie is as touching as it is wonderful. Movies like this are the reason we have cinema in the first place. It is a truly captivating and breath-taking picture. My compliments to Peter Weir (Who was totally deserving of the Academy Award for Best Director for this movie). An A++++ in my book.

The Untouchables (1987)

A stylish take on a true story.

[10/10 · 5 September 2009]

Though I cannot vouch for its historical authenticity i can say this; THE UNTOUCHABLES is a great watch. If your at home or at blockbuster do not hesitate and watch/rent this film. Though there have been different responses to this movie i can say that i liked it. Robert De Niro is beautifully sinister as real life bad guy Al Capone and Sean Connery is at his Oscar Winning peak as beat cop Jimmy Malone. Though Kevin Costner is good he is a bit flat as main character Elliot Ness.

Now that we've gotten all that actor stuff out of the way... I cannot say all of this happened i do know that the basic skeleton of the story is true. Treasurey Officer Elliot Ness did compile a special task force to take down bootlegging gang lord Al Capone. Brian DePalma doesn't hesitate to show off his directing talent. He beautifully captures the city of Chicago in all its madness and glory of the 1930s. This is a flashy, bodacious, colorful, and inspiring movie. It gets an A in my book.

Public Enemies (2009)

Better than I Anticipated

[9/10 · 5 September 2009]

When i entered the theater to go see "Publice Enemies" I thought it was just going to be used as an excuse to get Hollywood's two biggest leading men (Johnny Depp and Christian Bale) in a movie together and sell as many tickets as possible. But I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was actually very well thought out and delightfully entertaining. It was one of the highlights of the 2009 summer block buster season for me.

Though I did have several problems with the movie. The problems i have include; Michael Mann is a big fan of using choppy camera motions that can be a little annoying, Christian Bale is a bit two-dimensional at times, and I couldn't understand why Johnny Depp spoke with a southern accent when John Dillinger was from Indiana.

But the film does have great shots of Chicago and the bank robbing scenes are executed exquisitly (kudos to Michael Mann). All in all "Public Enemies was great for the summer block buster season. I don't know what kind of Oscar chances it has but I wish it well. (Johnny Depp is due for one)